Libel and slander are forms of defamation in English law.  

 

Libel is the publication of a defamatory statement in permanent form (for example, in an email, tweet, text, online review, Facebook posting or news article).  

 

Slander is concerned with the spoken word, conduct or other non-permanent expression. 

 

A statement will be defamatory in English law if it is:- 

 

(a) published to a person other than the victim,  

(b) identifies the victim and  

(c) lowers the reputation of the victim in the estimation of right-thinking members of society.  

 

Solicitors who deal with personal injury note that Libel is actionable ‘on the face of it’ which means that so long as you can prove you have been defamed, you will automatically be able to claim at least nominal damages for injury to your feelings and distress caused by the libellous statement. However, due to changes brought about by the Defamation Act 2013, in order to establish a cause of action for defamation, you (as the victim) have to be able to prove on balance of probabilities that the publication has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to your reputation. 

Next time you hear the words ‘any more for any more?’, our solicitors in Preston warn to be sure of exactly what you are paying for. Here’s why… 

 

Purchasing a property at auction can be an advantageous way of buying a property that is value for money and also promises a quick turnaround in terms of conveyancing. MG Legal’s solicitors in Preston deal with auction properties on a daily basis and work to help our clients reap the benefits of the same. 

 

In one recent American case, however, our conveyancing solicitors have been astounded to learn the facts of one particular case where the buyer most definitely got less than he had originally bargained for. 

Mobile network provider EE, have recently announced that they are taking the world of mobile data one step further. They will soon be offering not just 3G, not just 4G but 5G, to their customers at various sites around the UK. The upgrade is said to be particularly useful for the business sector in having easy accessible and reliable data, with significant speed increases, at all times. 

 

The proposals are set to be released to over 1500 sites over the next year, promising a faster network for their customers. One of the sites will be situated within Liverpool, where politicians are commenting this will be “a massive boost for the city”. Our solicitors in Preston, however, reveal at what price this may come at. 

So, you get home from work, start making tea (dinner, if you’re in the south), make the following day's packed lunches, shout for everyone to sit down for their tea, empty the dishwasher, shout for everyone to come down for their tea again, empty the bin, shout for everyone to come for their tea again, start eating your tea, and about mid-way through, the family comes and joins you for their tea. They gobble it down as quickly as possible, whilst avoiding all eye contact so that you don’t ask them to put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher (or even worse - wash them by hand). 

With so many housing developments being built, especially in your local solicitor’s home county, Lancashire, we can all sympathise with the feeling of dread when you receive a planning application letter from your local council. But, when you receive a similar letter about your neighbour’s property, do many of us really pay that much attention? 

 

Well, for neighbours of Sophie Hicks, a renowned architect, they definitely paid attention, and said no! 

Recent research, finding that many prefer online contact as opposed to meeting with face-to-face with their solicitor, has come at a shock to MG Legal’s team. We are not the big, bad wolves you need to be scared of (or at least after we have all had our morning dose of coffee, that is!), and aim to ensure all clients feel comfortable with both online and face-to-face contact. 

Whilst some law firms like to put their trainees in one department for a set period of time and then move them to the next department for a set period of time, here at MG Legal we find it works better to combine seats so that you do not forget the processes and information you have learnt. 

 

My days are often long but they are most certainly never the same! Whilst Conveyancing can sometimes be somewhat transactional, and Family Law more emotional, it is often found that some Conveyancing transactions become frustrating: when there is a chain, affecting your client’s property transaction, and you have no control over Mrs Smith’s property sale, that is three houses down the chain to your client’s purchase, as a property solicitor who liked to be in control of literally everything, then, well, you start to understand the situation!  

 

On the other hand, Family matters are dealt with in an almost business-like manner, in cases where couples have remained quite amicable and both know what they want the outcome to be. Currently, I spend my Mondays and Thursdays within the Family Department, and the remainder of the week with the Conveyancing Department; however, these days will often be swapped if there is a Family matter in Court. 

You might be in need of some legal assistance, or you might be thinking of starting a career in law, or you might just be ‘asking for a friend'; but, before you start, you really do need to know the answer to this question: What is the difference between a barrister, a lawyer, and a solicitor? 

As part of your purchase transaction, your conveyancing solicitors will submit searches on your behalf. Essentially, the searches are used to ensure the integrity of the property you are purchasing and that there are no issues which may come to haunt you in the future. See our blog on ‘The Importance of Conveyancing Searches’ for more information on what these entail by following the link, here. 

At MG Legal, our team of solicitors in Preston understand that nobody wants to get into an argument with their neighbour – who else are you going to borrow milk for your morning brew from? Unfortunately, however, these matters do arise and are something that our solicitors in Preston encounter on a regular basis.